Game of Thrones holds a very special place in my heart. Though I would love to go into detail about why, this is unfortunately not the place for that (though an article may come in the future). Today I’m here to review Season 7 of the highly popular show and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Leading up to this last season, I had originally taken a stance of not wanting to watch it as I was hoping that creator/author George R. R. Martin would have the next book ready, but alas, that was not in the cards. Instead, I decided, rather begrudgingly to watch the latest season and I’m so glad I did because it blew my god damn mind.

In Game of Thrones fashion, the Season 6 finale left viewers shocked as Cersei, who was supposed to go to court, decided she didn't care and blew the courthouse to kingdom come. This action resulted in the death of many Game of Thrones characters as well as King Tommen, who decided to commit suicide after the explosion took out his wife. We also see Jon Snow become King of the North, Daenary’s setting off to Westeros with her children (i.e. the ferocious dragons), and Arya slicing and dicing those who have trespassed against her and her family. Season 7 kicks off with Cersei becoming Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, a goal she has had her entire life and sits upon the Iron Throne, daring anyone to try and fuck with her.

We have been waiting seven seasons for this and FINALLY winter has come, and with that we see more of the white walkers along with their deadly leader, the Night King. Though the Night King doesn’t get a lot of screen time, he has quickly become one of my favorite characters and it’s nice to finally see some terrifying zombies (yes, I’m throwing shade at you, “The Walking Dead”). The power that these undead, specifically the Night King, harbor is pretty impressive, and if you haven’t caught up with Season 7 yet, let me just tell you, the Seven Kingdoms are in for a hell of a fight when the white walkers come their way.

One of the best moments of this season is finally getting to see Daenary’s dragons in action. As Daenary’s has grown into her role as Queen she has had to make some heavy decisions that have cost people their lives at the hand of her dragons. She walks a fine line, of being a loving, caring Queen to her people but also having a fiery temper and using her dragons as a way to defeat her enemies. It’s a fascinating storyline to watch as well as extremely empowering as Daenary’s is a figurehead for women who have broken their chains and gone forward with strengths and independence. Season 7 also brings Daenary’s and Jon Snow together - and though there was resistence on both sides - Daenary’s wanting Jon to bend the knee and Jon not wanting to concede to an unconfirmed Queen, the two end up meeting as one and the power they have together as a unit may just be what is needed to defeat the white walkers and the Night King.

As with any season of Game of Thrones, some of our favorite characters end up meeting their demise whether we want it or not. I did feel like this season didn’t take as many risks as it could have, but there was one death that really hit me in the gut, mostly because it was one of my favorite characters. I won’t say who in case anyone reading this hasn’t caught up yet, but get ready to say goodbye to a character who has been there since the beginning. The storyline leading up to this character’s death was quite intriguing as I never saw the twist coming, so I was genuinely surprised when it happened.

Overall, I feel like Game of Thrones is bringing back all the players to their respective houses for a major war that is going to come from the white walkers. Sansa has proved herself in more than one way as Lady of Winterfell, presiding over the house while Jon Snow is away. Arya and Bran have also found themselves back to Winterfell, but it’s apparent that some of the relationships from this reunion are a bit strained. As for Cersei, she is just as savage as we all expect, whether it’s by exacting revenge on her enemies or manipulating characters for her own gain, she quite literally doesn’t give fuck as long as her lineage continues on and she is never dethroned. However, this may be her downfall, as the idea of the white walkers hasn’t made her want to join forces to defeat them before the undead kills them all.

So where does that leave us? The War is definitely coming, the undead are on their way in the hundred thousand range, and the Seven Kingdoms are in turmoil. With only one more season left, I can only imagine what will befall the characters we have all come to love (or hate). The Night King is set on the destruction of everything, for what reason, I’m not sure, but I’m looking forward to seeing if we learn more about his background. As a huge fan of the book and the show, it hurts to have to wait till 2019 for the next chapter in this saga. Until then, I may need to re-watch all the seasons. With one of the best endings in the entire series, Game of Thrones once again proves that it's one of the best shows on television.

Shannon M.

Game of Thrones Season 7 is now available to own on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD from HBO.